


Your breath in my ribcage

by drunkenshrimp (svnwritten)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: 18th Century, Golden Age of Piracy, Historical, Homicide, M/M, Mermaids, Minor Character Death, Revenge, Temporary Character Death, The scenery is pretty though, a little bit Baekhyun-centric, morally questionable characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:27:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28618047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svnwritten/pseuds/drunkenshrimp
Summary: Some called them mermaids. Others called them sirens. Sailors called them nightmares. Dying called them devils.Baekhyun called him saviour.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	Your breath in my ribcage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [12Horrors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/12Horrors/gifts).



> Hi, originally this fic was supposed to be my fic for a horror-themed fic fest, a self-prompt. However, due to the fest more or less disappearing (I hope that everyone, including the mods, are doing great btw) I decided to post it on my own.  
> It's my own attempt at horror and a mermaid au.
> 
> Thank you to my betas that helped me get it right, especially gramatically-wise and in terms of the title, haha.
> 
> more detailed list of trigger warnings:  
> descriptions of dying, minor character's death, a bloody (without blood) revenge

_ “I don’t wanna die!” _

_ “That’s just bad luck, then.” _

The shout of anguish and despair cut through the air like a bullet. 

From the depth of his heart, a man wished that he could grant Baekhyun a death like that; quick, almost painless. Instead, he watched him fight for every breath, desperately gasping for the air as he tried to keep his head above the surface of the water.

He didn’t scream anymore after being pushed off the plank. He didn’t shout either. He was just crying, or so it seemed, tears mixing with the salty water that surrounded him. He also begged for mercy.

The man turned his back on the scene. “Let’s not waste any more time, shall we?” And then he left. 

Baekhyun didn’t stay above the surface for long enough to see the ship disappear on the horizon.

* * *

_ The water was cold, making him shiver as he breathed. He could feel the salt landing in his lungs and throat. That’s how home felt; like ice piercing through his body and salt rubbing into his skin. His life was never supposed to be painless. But it was immensely better than dying. _

_ He looked into the polished mirror resting against the wall of the cave and cocked his head to the side critically. He hummed, and the sound was so lovely that it put canaries to shame. A single strand of his dark hair fell over his forehead. _

_ “Going up today?” Asked someone from behind. _

_ Their eyes met in the mirror reflection.  _

_ “Minseok,” he greeted politely. He didn’t hear Minseok coming. He never did. “I don’t know. Certainly considering.” _

_ Minseok nodded. “You should,” he said simply. “You look remarkable today. You may get lucky. There are plenty of boats on the surface.” And then he was gone, like a morning breeze.  _

_ The humming re-vibrated through the cave again. This time, it was much louder. _

* * *

Baekhyun had never felt so at peace. He didn’t remember closing and opening his eyes. He didn’t remember fighting for every breath, choking on water, and faintly spluttering for help. What he did remember was how the sun looked through the salty water that stung his eyes. The sun shifted from the colour from sparkling white champagne to dimmed blue until it's light went out completely. 

From the perspective of the time, the sun barely felt real. 

So maybe, he was sailing through the darkness since the beginning of the time? Floating through the world without a sun, ever since he opened his eyes to the world. Maybe, the memory of its warm light was a hoax.

It was hard to look away from the sky spreading above him; it was just as hard as distinguishing the sky from the sea. 

“How odd is this night…,” thought Baekhyun idly, his lips moved, but no sound came out. “How odd it is that I can see thousands of stars, but there’s no moon. Just utter darkness.” 

His eyes slowly tear away from the darkest corners of the universe laid above him. The stars seemed to be falling straight into the sea; like they couldn’t wait for their chance to bask in the water, and sink, and, then, be reborn all over again. The reflection of their subtle glow was glinting on the surface, even brighter than it did on the firmament. 

The boat was sailing forward—it was hard not to pick up on its move. But when Baekhyun looked overboard, he could barely see ripples on the surface. It almost seemed like he wasn’t sailing but floating above the water. Hovering between real and unreal.

“Or perhaps,” Baekhyun pondered, “it isn’t water, to begin with.” He leaned over the side curiously.

The water was as deep as Baekhyun’s most carefully hidden fears and desires. Looking into it was like looking into one’s heart. Strangely intimate and scary. He winced, heart hammering in his chest. Once the uneasiness found its way back to his soul—did it ever disappear to begin with?— it clawed into him without any intention of letting go any time soon.

And this sort of worry—the one you feel when you realize you can’t be sure if the next breath you take won’t be your last one—was like a wake-up call. And this time, Baekhyun opened his eyes  _ for real _ . 

The sky wasn’t  _ just _ dark. It was pitch black, and the stars weren’t dimly bright. They were ash grey with a trace of long-lost silver sparkle. The sea, the ocean—it was so vast that it couldn’t be anything else but ocean—was…eerily tranquil. 

Something about this darkness, this peace, and quietness, was alarming to Baekhyun. To Baekhyun who had lived his entire life in a port town. Baekhyun who found solitude in the sight of deep, inscrutable water. Baekhyun who longed for the sea his entire life. That Baekhyun knew what the sea looked like before the storm. He also knew the subtle fear of the storm.

He tried to stand up, but it turned out to be nearly impossible. The boat was shaky, and his legs kept wobbling despite the lack of waves on the ocean. It shouldn’t be hard to stand, but it was. Anxiously, Baekhyun gripped the side of the boat. His fingers dug into the wood. What a strange boat it was—he thought—without paddles and ropes. With an anchor too. 

_ It’s a jolly-boat. _

Fear thundered in his heart and rumbled through his veins.

Baekhyun looked right ahead of himself, eyes blown with panic.

At first, he thought that he had finally found the moon; bright light that guaranteed security and ensured a safe journey. Against the will, Baekhyun smiled. But the smile disappeared as soon as he realized that it wasn’t the moon that he was looking at. 

It was a lamp. A kerosene lamp, but its light was silver instead of gold. Baekhyun didn’t feel warm by looking at it like he should. If possible, he felt even colder. 

Distant. 

_ Lonely _ . 

All by himself floating over the deep, deep ocean.

_ He was lonely, but he wasn’t alone _ . 

A shiver crawled down his spine, and he looked around, blood running cold as he took in the sight. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of lamps like his, in many shapes, many shades—every lamp at the hull of one boat—each boat for one person.

Abruptly, Baekhyun jerked backwards. 

_ How was it possible that until then, he hadn’t realized that he wasn’t alone.  _

In the boat that was closest to his, there was a little boy, a child. His chubby hands clenched around a teddy bear. His face was blank, and his eyes—empty. His lamp was bright, it’s light warm and welcoming. 

Baekhyun couldn’t look at him for much longer. 

A little bit further, in another boat, he saw a woman dressed in a richly embroidered dress, her hat sitting securely on her lap. She looked out of place but calm. Loneliness looked good on her. Her lamp sparkling like a diamond. 

Baekhyun’s knees started shaking. He couldn’t bear looking at those people. 

The reality was starting to finally sink in; the neverending ocean, the odd peace he felt, the cold and anxiety shyly gnawing at his heart. Baekhyun hid his face in his hands.

If he had any tears left—he would start crying. 

* * *

It was hard to tell how much time he spent like that, curled up in the middle of his tiny boat, floating on the thin line between sky and ocean. ( _ On the thin line between life and death. _ ) All he knew was that he was slowly getting used to the cold. It wasn’t a welcoming feeling. In fact, it made him shake violently with dread. 

_ For the cold was a symptom of sickness and death. _

He was slowly getting drowned with the overwhelming misery.

It was until he heard it, the first sound in hours(? Days? Centuries? It was so hard to tell), that he dared to open his eyes again.

The sound was low and pleasant, and it seemed like it was coming from beneath the water. Baekhyun blinked his drowsiness away and looked around out of habit. He was surprised to see that many people in the boats were also waking up from their odd plateau. Although, it seemed that none of them looked for long enough to notice that they weren’t alone… Nonetheless, it was the first sign that they were  _ alive _ . ( _ Still  _ alive.)

Maybe Baekhyun should know better than to put his faith into something so trivial, but he was just a human after all. 

_ Maybe not everything was lost.  _

A relatively small wave crashed against Baekhyun’s boat’s hull, which made him focus back on his situation. The wave smashed the tender hope along the way, replacing it with ugly, familiar panic. 

The waves were darker than the ocean itself. Baekhyun bit his lips, trying to stop them from wobbling. For a moment, he even considered putting his hands together and praying. He still remembered the legends his sitter told him when he was a child. The memories of tales told by sailors in the bars were still fresh to his memory. 

The ocean rumbled hungrily. Salty tears stung at the corners of Baekhyun’s eyes at the creature his mind had conjured.  _ Kraken. The most corporeal of myths.  _

Something moved beneath his boat, rocking it from side to side. Baekhyun squeezed his eyes tight.  _ He would never be granted salvation. He could almost smell the rotting fish flesh, the bite of the bitter salt on his tongue, the sting of teeth piercing his body, the stench of poor souls whose path Baekhyun was about to follow. He could almost _ —

The rocking stopped, but Baekhyun counted to ten before he opened his eyes again. 

The ocean and the night sky didn’t change. The stars remained dull, and the light of his kerosene lamp was still cold. 

Baekhyun looked around, and his heart caught in his throat. He had underestimated the threat. 

_ He expected Kraken. A monster. _

_ Not the devil. _

He definitely  _ should have _ prayed before. Now, it was too late. He didn’t dare to pray surrounded by  _ demons _ with long teeth and even longer claws. 

He didn’t have to look long to know what they were; creatures of the sea, born from human flesh and darkness and white foam. Beautiful, terrifying, omens of death. Shining under the moonlight and blending with dark water. 

_ Mermaids _ . 

_ It was way too late to say his prayers. To call for his mother. He wouldn't even get a chance to redeem himself. His soul would rest at the bottom of the sea.  _ With mermaids.

_ And if he cried, would they show him mercy? Or would they laugh at him and drink every tear he shed?  _

Some of them were already resting their chins on the sides of jollies, their hands reaching out to touch, to trace and to grab and drag a human soul under the surface. Others were still swimming circles, dark eyes above the water; sharp and unforgiving and  _ searching _ for a person that would tempt them enough. Searching for a light that was warm enough to lure them. 

_ The kerosene lamp. The light of Baekhyun’s soul.  _

His heart lurched in his chest, and he suddenly felt pitiful for himself. A terrible person he must have been if his light was so cold. If he had the strength—he would laugh.

Even if it couldn’t possibly save him, even if he couldn’t hide for long, Baekhyun’s shoulder hunched, and he backed out a little bit. He felt so exposed. Like he was offered to the devil himself on a silver plate. 

Something plopped into the water, and Baekhyun inhaled sharply.

He had nothing to fight back with. He had no weapons. He had no strength in his limbs. All he could do was wait for the unavoidable, his heart thrashing like a hummingbird as the fear slowly swallowed it whole. 

That’s when he realized that he was being watched. 

_ How does it feel to look into death’s eyes? _ He asked himself internally. His back straight, his fingers numb, his heartbeat erratic—Baekhyun turned around. 

The air he sucked in was cold and tasted like salt. The eyes that were fixed in Baekhyun were even more heartless and much darker than the sky. 

“Oh,” Baekhyun breathed out hopelessly because frankly—the creature leaning over the side of his jolly-boat was of outstanding beauty. Perhaps—the most beautiful devil that had ever crawled out of the bottom of the sea. 

His arms—lean and long—were resting on the wooden board side, and his chin was lazily placed atop of his hands, making him look wistful. Making him look almost normal if it wasn’t for his face and his eyes and the devilish curl of his lips. He cocked his head to the side, peering at Baekhyun with interest. 

“Have you got something of value?” 

It was the first thing he said. No ‘ _ don’t be afraid’ _ or ‘ _ I mean no harm _ .’ It was a cruel way to ruthlessly deprive of hope.  _ Why would the devil care about Baekhyun’s hope anyway?  _

Baekhyun felt his throat clench, and he shook his head violently. Something of value? 

“Nothing,” he replied shakily, and his voice was so faint and shaky that he felt like crying. 

The creature— _ the merman _ —hummed thoughtfully and pulled himself higher, revealing the upper part of his torso and the necklace hanging around his neck, its pendant resting between his collarbones. Drops of water were dripping from his dark hair. The faint starlight made them look like diamond freckles. 

Baekhyun blinked, and the merman was smiling at him, showing a white row of sharp teeth.

“Nothing to offer me then?” He inquired with a glint in his eyes. 

Baekhyun wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to offer his heart and soul. Not so soon. Not without a fight. He would lose eventually—he was sure of that. He knew he would give in—but he had to at least try. 

Without breaking eye contact, Baekhyun touched his wrists and neck. He used to wear his jewellery like a trophy, proof of his family’s connections to the royalties and an indicator of his social status. But his neckline and wrists were bare, adorned only with soft laces and rumpled silks. 

“Nothing,” Baekhyun shook his head again fearfully. It felt like telling the truth and lying were both the same wrong. 

“What’s your name?” Asked the merman, glancing somewhere behind Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Don’t turn around,” he hissed quickly, leaning forward. 

“I—” Baekhyun was hit by the intense smell of sea salt. Something plopped into the water. Cold splashes of it hitting his back. “Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun.”

“I’m Jongdae,” the merman replied even though Baekhyun didn’t ask. “And you’re not turning around until I allow that. Understood?”

“My pleasure,” Baekhyun squeaked. “And understood.”

Jongdae relaxed, and Baekhyun realized how tense his muscles were before that. How pinched his face looked. Now his body looked softer, almost like every inch of him was covered with a thin layer of cotton. Blurry but solid.

Baekhyun hadn’t realized when the merman—Jongdae—wrapped his fingers around his wrist. The touch was as cold as ice. 

“Are you going to kill me?” Baekhyun swallowed the lump in his throat.

_ His teeth were so sharp and so white that maybe Baekhyun wouldn’t mind if they tore him apart.  _

Jongdae laughed. “I can’t kill what’s already died. You give me too much credit.” His fingers solid on Baekhyun’s wrist. His eyes boring into Baekhyun’s soul. That way, he was (or would be) be able to feel Baekhyun’s pulse. “You do realize that you died, right?” He asked with poorly hidden disinterest. 

“I suspected that,” Baekhyun replied shakily.

Jongdae’s grin widened. It grew sharper and made his face even more handsome. Less human. His beauty more forceful than the rapier Baekhyun used to carry with himself. 

“You don’t remember your death, do you?” 

It wasn’t until Jongdae asked that Baekhyun realized he didn’t remember it at all. He frowned.

“No,” he replied truthfully. 

“I can see that in you,” Jongdae purred. It felt like he was daring. It felt like he was flirting.

“How so?” Baekhyun asked sharply, yanking his wrist from Jongdae’s grasp. 

He expected outrage and shook, but Jongdae smiled sweetly, prompting his elbow on the board side. He looked like a dream.

“The other people…they wear tokens of their tragedy. They carry offerings, hoping that they would save them. They come here prepared either by their own or someone else’s doing. You were left with nothing. You have nothing.”  _ You are nothing.  _ His index finger traced the edge of the side of the boat. “Do you know anything about pirate’s codex, Baekhyun?”

Out of all questions, Baekhyun didn’t expect this one. He shook his head. 

He was a son coming from a noble family. Pirates were situated somewhere at the bottom of the barrel. Criminals who disregarded the fundamental rights and knew nothing about respect. Who  _ stole _ and  _ murdered _ and  _ raped _ . 

Baekhyun shook his head again. Why would he know anything about their codex? Surely, it was written by Satan himself.

Jongdae hummed. “That’s what I thought.”

“Does it matter?” Baekhyun cradled his cold wrist to his chest.

“It might.” Jongdae shrugged. “It would be easier for me to explain the tragedy of your situation if you knew the Code.” 

“Tragedy?” He echoed.

Jongdae looked at him deliberately, as if he was trying to estimate if Baekhyun was strong enough to take the truth.

“You know the sea, don’t you?” Jongdae asked unexpectedly. 

Baekhyun flushed. “A bit. But I’m not a sailor.” 

“That much is clear,“ Jongdae sneered. “You used to be rich, right?” 

Suddenly, he leaned over the board side, making the boat tip to the side and bringing him closer to the utter darkness the ocean was. Baekhyun wondered if the water was as frigid as the fear in his soul. He gulped, bringing his attention back to Jongdae. 

“My family used to trade a lot, yes,” he explained breathlessly.

Jongdae snorted. “Figures. What remains a mystery is why no one fitted you out with an offering for me,” he mused, fingers dancing along the line of Baekhyun’s wrist. 

The touch didn’t scare him anymore.  _ He couldn’t tell if Jongdae had started singing or not.  _

“Why didn’t they prepare you beforehand?” Jongdae asked wistfully, watching the thin purple lines running under the skin.

And perhaps Jongdae had started singing to his soul already because Baekhyun felt bare and compelled to tell the truth. 

“I didn’t travel with my family.” Because these people,  _ this person _ , wasn’t his family even if he wished them to be. Baekhyun’s breath hitched, and the tips of Jongdae’s nails scratched against the thin of his skin. As if he wanted to drag all the truth that was buried deep beneath it.

So Baekhyun continued speaking. “It was the first time I was at sea. I was never meant…” The words stuck in his throat, and he had to re-formulate himself in his heart. “My father thought I was not fit for sailing and travelling abroad. My education wasn’t aimed at exploring the marine world, ethics and behaviours.” 

A faint cry skipped above the surface of the ocean before diving beneath the water with a soft splash. Baekhyun shivered.

For the first time, the emotions forming in Jongdae’s eyes, behind the thin membrane and dark eyelashes, looked almost human. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said then. He sounded honest.

Baekhyun felt a certain warmth forming in his heart. For a split of a second, he wasn’t lonely. 

And then, Jongdae blinked. The sympathy was skillfully masked behind the sour mockery and calculation.

“Why does it matter anyway?” Baekhyun breathed out, willing himself not to cry. 

Jongdae clicked his tongue. The tip of his sharp teeth, tearing the end of his tongue and drawing blood. 

“It matters because everyone who trespasses the border of Our Mother, Sea, knows that they ought to always be prepared.” Jongdae smiled lightly. “For she is a caring mother that loves her children very much: me, my brothers and sisters and everything that lives at the bottom of the oceans. And you see, Baekhyun, she is very protective of us. Very loving of the land she reigns. And sometimes she is not...in favour of newcomers. So sometimes she drowns your boats and ships just for fun. Or sometimes she watches others do it for her.” 

“And what happens then?” Baekhyun shuddered.

Drops of the water quickly slid down Jongdae’s chest in streams as he shook in silent, disbelieving laughter.

“You know what, Baekhyun,” he cooed. “Then, humans end up here. Humans who died but are not dead yet. Humans with bodies void of life and with souls that still burst with energy. A gift: from a mother to her children. For them to choose and pick what souls they find desirable. Or…” His eyes flashed dangerously. His unoccupied hand fleeting to the pendant on his neck. “They try to exchange gifts for their life: golden coins or beautiful jewellery. A ring, at least. Fair payment for their life. Even pirates follow that rule. The worst punishment in their Code is being killed without any trinket of value attached to their clothes.”

He laughed loudly, and the sound almost muffled the sound of waves. It took a minute or two before he continued. “Humans are foolish and frail. You are narrow-minded and don’t know that sometimes they should have their soul taken away.”

Baekhyun’s voice trembled as he spoke. “What do you mean? Does it mean that there’s an end worse than having every part of you…vanish?” 

But the question fell dead to Jongdae’s ears as his fingers danced along the line of Baekhyun’s forearm. Each fingertip pressing deep into the flesh, the coldness seeping through Baekhyun’s skin despite the protective layer of clothes. Jongdae hummed, and Baekhyun recognized that sound as the one that pulled him out of his lethargy hours ago.

“That depends,” Jongdae settled on saying finally (when Baekhyun gave up on hoping for the answer). “If you were a good person with a warm and bright soul, you would have sailed to the safe shore. Dead but safe,” he said as if it was of any reassurance. “However, if your soul is cold, if you disobeyed the laws that you should have followed in your life—” Jongdae not so subtly glanced at Baekhyun’s kerosene lamp. “—you would end up in Davy Jones’ Locker. A world with no light. No hope. A bottomless void with no chance of rescue.” 

The jolly-boat shook as another wave crashed against its hull. The waves were growing more immense, more forceful. As if they were one blow of wind away from swallowing the jolliest that was stuck on the surface.

Baekhyun’s eyes were glassy and hazed. As if the darkness of the Locker was mirroring in his heart. He barely felt it when cold fingers slipped into his open palm.

“It’s an end worse than having your soul eaten, Baekhyun,” finished Jongdae. He gently pulled Baekhyun’s hand, forcing him to lean forward. His voice was so soft that Baekhyun felt like melting into it. Was so sweet that its sweetness almost wholly replaced the salt clinging to the tip of his tongue. 

“No hope,” Baekhyun weakly repeated. “No rescue.”

Jongdae once again tugged him forward. His fingers sleek against Baekhyun’s skin. “No hope. No rescue. I can vouch for that. I look at it every day. Poor souls buried at the bottom of the ocean, choking on sand, tears and the memory of their ill-doings. Let me save you from this fate.”

_ He’s neither a monster nor a devil.  _

Baekhyun smiled faintly. To decide between having his soul eaten or living an eternal torment was a hard choice to make. He was selfish when he was alive and remained the same after he died. He didn’t think he deserved either. 

But no one cared about what Baekhyun thought. 

No one ever did.

“The waves are growing bigger, Baekhyun,” Jongdae noted absently. “I’m giving you freedom of choice. Mermaids don’t usually do that. But you have to decide, or I will swim away.”

That pulled Baekhyun out of his train of thoughts.

“You don’t want to… You don’t want my soul?” His hand clenched around the fabric crumpled above his heart.

Jongdae shrugged and peeled his hand away from Baekhyun, smiling a sharp smile. “I’ve been told that I’m an oddity.”

A cold gust of wind shook the jolly-boat. For the first time in hours, Baekhyun looked around. Jongdae was the only mermaid that was still lingering around. A cold shiver ran down his spine.

“Is it soon?” He asked Jongdae fearfully. 

Almost half of the jollies were empty. The only ones left either shined with warm light and had a light so cold and dim that it stung Baekhyun’s eyes.

Jongdae nodded. “Very.”

“But—I don’t want to die.” Baekhyun’s voice broke into dry sobbing. “I want to live. I-I didn’t deserve that!” He raised his gaze to the sky.

“You didn’t deserve dying?” Jongdae sounded amused. “It’s not a matter of deserving. It was written in the stars for your kind.”

“But not for you, right?” Baekhyun looked back at Jongdae, whose eyes widened in surprise. “You were human once, too, and yet you are immortal. Yet you didn’t die,” he said with accusation. “How?” 

He realized it might have been a mistake when Jongdae’s smile wavered, and he pushed himself off the boat. Baekhyun leaned forward, trying to chase for him, a cold dread licking his spine and bones.  _ ‘Wait,’ _ he mouthed helplessly. 

“Wait! No!” He shouted instead, face wet with tears. 

But Jongdae only shook his head, his torso engulfed with dark water. 

“At least tell me how! I don’t want to die. I don’t want to disappear. Jongdae, please—” A wave crashed into his boat, cutting his sentence short and sending Baekhyun backwards. 

Through the sound of the roaring ocean, he heard a whisper. 

_ ‘It’s a soul for a soul.’  _

A spark of hope ignited in his soul as hundreds of salty drops hit his face. A smile bloomed at his lips when his kerosene lamp shook, almost falling into the sea. The memory of his death sour of his tongue and sharp in his numb fingers—ready to be offered and traded.

“Jongdae!” Baekhyun cried, his eyes closed as he tried to wipe the water off his face. But it was no use. The waves were growing more prominent, higher and more robust, with more and more drops falling into the boat. “I remember now! I remember my death! It’s a soul for a soul, so let me kill him! Or kill him yourself! Take him! Not me!” He cried until his throat was raw, and the sea quietened down. The waves were still high but now—silent. 

But when Baekhyun opened his eyes, Jongdae was nowhere to be seen. 

* * *

_ “Give me the Tearer,” Jongdae commanded sharply, pulling Minseok’s shoulder and pushing him away from the silver shreds of someone’s soul. “I need it.” _

_ Minseok unhurriedly wiped the corners of his mouth and licked his lips. His face was decorated with a lazy grin. _

_ “Tearer? I don’t know your motives, but it won’t work until _ — _ ” _

_ “Until I cry. Yes, I know,” Jongdae hissed angrily. “I will do it. I will cry. Now give it to me.”  _

_ Minseok whistled, a chuckle rumbling through his chest. His eyebrows raised high on his forehead. “Jongdae? Crying?” He asked with curiosity. “You’ve never done it before,” he added with a pinch of mockery. _

_ “I am aware,” Jongdae drawled through his clenched teeth. “Give it to me now, will you?” _

_ A knife with a handle made of pearls and a pointed clip blade made of white gold appeared in Minseok’s hand out of nowhere. His fingers made their way to the tip and slowly caressed the edge until it reached the handle.  _

_ Minseok loved only once. He loved a human with a soul that was so warm, he couldn’t reach them. He lost them before he learned their name. _

_ Ever since then, he served Their Mother only. So it was so surprising that he trusted with the secret of keeping one of her little toys: Tearer. _

_ “I wonder what soul has piqued your interest enough for you to save them,” Minseok mused.  _

_ “It’s hardly a salvage,” Jongdae sneered, taking the Teared into his hands. “But it’s better than death,” he said and sprung upwards to the ceiling of the ocean, to the surface. _

_ Minseok smiled sweetly, watching his shadow dance across the water. “It’s better than death, indeed. You of all people know that well, Jongdae.” _

* * *

The storm was about to reach its final form. The wind was howling in Baekhyun’s ears, tugging his clothes and slashing the skin of his soft cheeks. The noise was almost unbearable despite Baekhyun covering his ears with his hands. He tried to block out the sound of the wind, rain and his own crying.

“—a soul for a soul. Please, take it,” he cried, rocking back and forward. “A soul for a soul. I don’t want to die. Please. Please, not me. Take another soul. A bad soul, please—”

The reality was almost as crashing and deadly as the stormy ocean. Jongdae was not coming back, and Baekhyun would spend eternity lonely and in excruciating pain.

“Please. Please. Please,” he repeated hopelessly, pulling at his hair strands. “Please, come back. Please—”

The sudden touch on his wrist was verging painful. Baekhyun tried blinking the water and the tears away. Through the heavy storm, he could barely make out the shapes. Only sharp teeth and eyes darker than a horizon line.

“Will you kill the soul of another man in exchange for yours?” Jongdae asked loudly, words crashing into each other because of the storm and the thrill of the moment.

Baekhyun almost launched himself through the side of his boat. His hands were blindly reaching out for the source of the voice.

“Yes! Please! Gods, anything! I will do anything—I didn’t deserve—I—God! God! God, please—”

“Your gods won’t find you here.” Jongdae laughed, and it sounded like a shriek. “Come here, then.” He gripped Baekhyun’s forearm. “Let me help you fulfil your promise to the mother,” he added and pulled Baekhyun forward, dragging him into the darkness of the water as the dark sky opened above their heads.

* * *

_ The water was cold, and Baekhyun couldn’t breathe.  _

_ His lungs burned, and his body was turning numb quickly. But perhaps it wasn’t a bad thing, he thought.  _

_ A white blade with a pearl handle slashed his chest open. A careful, skilful hand led the tip of the blade slide across his entire being, cutting the heart out and leaving the soul untouched. _

_ Baekhyun’s entire body ached when Jongdae cradled Baekhyun’s cheek, his thumb caressing the corner of his lips. _

_ “It’s gonna hurt a bit,” Jongdae murmured quietly. There was a gleam of brightness at the bottom of his dark eyes, and a silver tear rolled down his cheek. It looked like a pearl. _

_ He twisted the blade and pushed it further. _

_ Baekhyun opened his mouth in a silent scream. _

_ For the second time in his existence _ — _ he was dying in the sea.  _

* * *

The sun was warm on his skin. The salty water on his cheeks was drying rapidly, making them itchy. It had been a while since he breathed air instead of water. 

Strange feeling. Odd and unwelcome, too. 

He found himself aching to jump back into the water. But the time wasn’t right yet. He had waited months for this moment—a moment of revenge. 

“Captain! Ay! Captain! I see a body on the raft!” 

Baekhyun smiled into the moist wood of his raft.  _ Come, come, little children _ , he thought and subtly shifted his head to glance at the water.

Shimmery scales in the colour of steel were sparkling at him from the bottom of the ocean. A reassuring presence of his companion. Baekhyun bit his lip to stop himself from smiling.

A year ago, he was a rich boy, the third son of his father. Raised to look pretty and, eventually, become a trophy husband. Today, he was an abomination and a nightmare from a sailor’s dreams. 

The shadow thrown by the ship covered Baekhyun sun-kissed back. He blinked, and suddenly there was a hand on his hand—slim and sleek. It was gone before Baekhyun had time to dive his head beneath the surface.

_ Ah, and he was fortunate enough to also be romantically close with one of the most mesmerizing creatures that Mother Ocean had ever bore. _

“Captain, we should pull this poor man on the deck!” Cried someone on the ship.

Baekhyun shivered. His human memories were slowly fading, but these voices—these voices he could easily recognize. 

“ _ You don’t need your memories, Baekhyun _ ,” Jongdae explained to him once. “ _ Your heart will know who is worthy of your revenge. And don’t worry about Mother either. She knows your heart. She knows you won’t betray her. _ ” 

Baekhyun felt someone grip his waist and raise him up—presumably to take him on the deck of their ship. He quickly concealed his smile. 

Jongdae was right—his heart could easily recognize. 

“He seems familiar,” someone mused.

Baekhyun’s body was rolled over until he was lying on his back. The sunrays were tickling his skin, and, idly, Baekhyun wondered how he could have ever found that sensation pleasant. 

Some man cursed loudly, a voice that used to haunt him but now was like a melody.

Baekhyun’s lips stretched in a wide smile. He blinked his eyes open, a translucent membrane protecting him from the bright sun. He couldn’t help but giggle at Lucas’s terrified expression. 

“Fuck! Push him back down into the water!” Lucas’s voice was laced with panic and fear. 

“But captain—”

“Push that thing down! It’s not human!” 

“So what—-”

“He turned himself into a blood mermaid, morons! Kill it before it’s too late!”

But Baekhyun was already standing up, and the rest of the ship crew moved away too far to stop him. All of them shaking with fear. 

Baekhyun took his time. He wasn’t in a rush—immortal creatures tend to have plenty of time. 

Over the past few months, his body changed—a membrane grew between his fingers. He grew gills on the left side of his neck, his chest was mapped with love, red scars running beneath his skin (a reminder that he once had a heart that was cut out and devoured). 

He looked like a monster—and he relished in that, for he was a charming monster. He was beautiful before his death. He was beautiful still—an inhuman type of beauty that left sailors speechless and maidens fainting.

Lazily, Baekhyun stretched out his hands into the sky as if he wanted to grasp the sun. His skin was naked, glistering prettily. In the full sun, his eyes appeared even darker. They crinkled when he laughed.

“What are you waiting for, idiots?” Screeched Lucas as Baekhyun took a step forward. “Kill him!”

“But you’ve already tried killing me, haven’t you?” Baekhyun asked with amusement. “Didn’t go too well, so what makes you think you can do it better now? That  _ they _ can do better?” He teased, his steps light on the wooden deck.  _ It was so strange feeling the floor beneath his feet.  _

Lucas raised his hand defensively, shaking violently. His other hand was clenched around the ship railing. 

(He couldn’t know that Jongdae was waiting in the water in case something went wrong. If he knew, he would instead set himself on fire than stand there.)

Baekhyun laughed again. “Not even an apology for me? After promising me the world and then robbing me of everything? Including a chance to save me?” He stepped closer. “It’s cruel, you know?” A small pout settled on his lips. He would look endearing if it wasn’t for the sharp teeth digging into his bottom lip.

“I—” Lucas’ face was drenched with terror. “I’m sorry—”

Clasping his hands together, Baekhyun smiled softly. “Well, too late for that,” he said, grabbed Lucas' hand and pushed both of them into the sea.

* * *

The sky was dark above Lucas’ head as he opened his eyes. So dark that it looked like a pit of hell. His boat shook violently before he took the first breath.

“Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait a bit?” Spoke a voice coming behind him. 

Lucas whipped his head around.

Two creatures were leaning against the side of his boat, their eyes dark even against the darkness of the sky. One of them laughed and quickly closed the distance between their lips, sealing them together for a brief moment.

“I was to make sure no one snatches him, Jongdae,” whispered the creature and turned his head to Lucas. 

The fear twisted his guts and squeezed the air he had left in his lungs. “Baekhyun—”

The creature smiled at him sweetly, revealing a white row of sharp teeth. “Baekhyun, indeed,” he nodded, pulling himself upwards. Torso now above the water, along with a thin line of scales below his belly button. 

The boat shook violently as Baekhyun flicked his tail harder with excitement. Jongdae giggled with his hand firm and secure on the small of Baekhyun’s back.

“Lead his boat at the bottom, baby,” he whispered to his ear and sank into the water, leaving Baekhyun and Lucas alone.

“Baekhyun, I-I can pay! I have jewellery and rings and gold! I can give you anything!”

Baekhyun laughed again. “But, dear. Oh, my dear,” he cooed. “I was already given  _ everything _ .”

**Author's Note:**

> don't kill me for killing Yukhei, pls   
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sunwritten_)  
> [ curious cat ](https://curiouscat.qa/sunwritten_)


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